5000 Years
by Requiem of Spirit
Summary: Love, lust, and eternal devotion. Revamped and reposted. BakuraTeaYami
1. Chapter the First

Authoress' Note: Thanks for reading!

A caravan wound its way through the shimmering desert sands of Egypt, mounted soldiers escorting it through the dunes. The richness of the gold encrusted litters blatantly proclaimed the occupants' wealth.

In one of the palanquins rode the reason for all the extravagance. She was a young girl, perhaps sixteen, bedecked in a blue silk robe that complemented her azure eyes. Her mahogany hair was pulled back from her delicate features in a gold net encrusted with precious stones. Tea, Princess of Kush, was on her way to be married to the Pharaoh of Egypt.

Tea was most displeased about her impending marriage. It was a political match, arranged at her birth, and one in which she had no say. The princess had spent most of her life doing as she pleased at the palace. She had played in the dirt with the servant boys as a child and, as she matured, spent hours perusing her father's extensive libraries. This pleasant life had continued until, three days before, she had been tracked down, bathed, perfumed, and unceremoniously stuffed into her exquisite robe. "_Oh yes, it's exquisite,_" thought Tea, "_not to mention hot, heavy, and ostentatious._" Tea complained to herself about the robe for a little while longer, then branched out to bash her future husband. "_I bet he's old and fat......with buck teeth!_" This description cheered Tea so much that she began adding other hideous features to her caricature._ "But I've heard he's a cruel man....._" This thought suddenly interjected itself into her consciousness and concerned Tea far more than her betrothed's appearance. She had no stomach for brutality.

Just as she had finished that thought, Tea heard screams and crashes coming from the tail end of the caravan. Poking her head out from between the silk drapes, she was met with complete chaos. In an ironic twist of fate, bandits had targeted her entourage, attracted by its lavish decorations. Tea didn't have time to think as the mounted highwaymen quickly surrounded her procession. She tore off her cumbersome garments and flung herself out of the palanquin.

By virtue of sheer luck, Tea rolled unnoticed down the opposite side of the dune, coming to rest at its base. She lay in the hot sand listening to the screams of her servants and guards being massacred. The princess was too stunned even to cry. Finally, after what seemed like hours, the bandits set the wreckage on fire and rode away with Tea's dowry. With the image of black plumes of smoke billowing into the sky still burned into her mind, Tea closed her eyes and knew only darkness.


	2. Chapter the Second

                Yami, Pharaoh of Egypt, rode swiftly over the dunes on his black Arabian.  Horses were one of the few indulgences Yami allowed himself.  Ruling his kingdom devoured much of his free time, but on occasion he could slip away into the desert.  This early morning was just such an occasion.  He needed an opportunity to contemplate his upcoming marriage.  "_How can I give myself to someone I don't even know?_" he asked himself, sighing. Coming over the crest of a sand dune, Yami urged his mount into a gentle canter along its summit.  Peering up at the blue velvet sky, the pharaoh suddenly noticed a patch of stars blotted out with black smoke.  His curiosity piqued, Yami rode towards the source.  

            Upon reaching a valley between two of the mounds, Yami could see the piles of wood and flesh that fueled the conflagration above him.  But it was not the fire that held his gaze.  He felt his eyes being pulled to his left where he saw a lump in the sand.  Dismounting, he strode over to excavate what the shifting desert sands had buried.  As Yami brushed back the final patch of sand, a beautiful face was revealed to him.  As if on cue, two sapphire blue eyes opened and stared into his own.  Yami felt jolted to his very soul.  The girl moaned and then lapsed back into unconsciousness. The pharaoh suddenly realized that this angel was shivering on the cold desert sand, which had relinquished the last of its heat in the pre-dawn hours.  Wrapping his cloak around her, Yami gently placed his discovery in front of him on the horse and cantered back to his palace.  

            The first thing Tea became aware of was an excruciating pain in her head.  "_Should have stayed asleep._" was the first coherent thought that she could put together.  Slowly pushing herself into a sitting position, Tea regarded her surroundings.  She was sitting in a large lacquered bed in a magnificent stone room.  Everywhere she looked, gold gleamed.  Absorbed by the grandeur of the chamber, she was startled to see a handsome young man slumped in a chair next to her bed.  The princess couldn't resist reaching out to touch his striking hair, which was black with magenta tips and golden bangs that currently hung into his sleeping face.  As soon as she grazed one of the spikes with her fingertips, the man's eyes shot open and she found herself mesmerized by his ruby-red gaze.  Equally spellbound, he finally remarked, "You're awake."  He immediately chastised himself mentally, "_Oh yeah Yami, that was clever.  State the obvious."   If Tea noticed the triteness of his comment she gave no sign.  Struggling to overcome her mind's cloudiness, she asked, "Did you bring me here?"  He nodded his affirmation as he elaborated, "You are in the pharaoh's palace.  I found you near a burning caravan.  I assume you were attacked?"  Tears pooled in Tea's cerulean eyes as she recalled the massacre.  She had had friends in that group.  After she sobbed her last, she realized that she was in her rescuer's arms.  "Th-thank you." she said shakily after he released her.  He regarded her with kind eyes.  "What is your name?"  Composing herself, Tea replied, "I am Princess Tea, of Kush.  I was traveling to this very palace to marry your pharaoh."  Yami was reeling.  It couldn't be that the gods had blessed him with this beautiful creature as his wife.  Suddenly he was distracted from his reverie by a sardonic laugh and Tea's comment of "You might as well have left me for dead."  Shocked even further, Yami raised one finely shaped eyebrow and asked, "Why in Ra's name would you wish that?"  Visibly vexed now, Tea vented her frustrations.  "How am I supposed to spend the rest of my life with some old, tyrannical misogynist?  I don't even know his name!"  Tears, this time of anger, gathered once again in her eyes.  Taken aback at her vehemence, Yami could only form bits and pieces of thoughts.  "_This anger is directed at me?_", "_Where did she hear such terrible rumors?_"  Sighing, Tea murmured, "I'm sorry.  I shouldn't take it out on you."  Yami nodded in acknowledgement, placing a comforting hand on hers.  "You should rest." was all he said.  Alighting gracefully from his chair he moved towards the door.  Transfixed by his form, Tea managed to shake herself from her swoon to blurt out, "Wait!"  Turning, Yami fixed her with a questioning gaze.  "I don't know your name either!"  Smiling slightly, he replied "Yami." and left the room.  Contented for the moment Tea settled back on her pillows to contemplate her new protector._


	3. Chapter the Third

            Yami roamed aimlessly, lost in thought, through the winding halls of the royal residence.  This in itself was not unusual; the pharaoh often found that he could concentrate far better on affairs of state while pacing his corridors.  Tonight, however, it was not a corn shortage or a matter of diplomacy that occupied his mind.  Yami was consumed with thoughts of his foundling princess, Tea.  "_How can I tell Tea that **I'm** the pharaoh?  Her eyes burn with such contempt for him........oooh those gorgeous eyes..._"  Here Yami mentally kicked himself.  "_Stay focused.  It would be too much of a shock for her to find out now.  I'll have to wait till she recovers...._"  Satisfied with this plan, the god-king retired to a chamber usually reserved for visiting dignitaries.  Lying down between the soft cotton sheets, he smiled and recalled the girl who currently inhabited his own bed.  

            A few days later, as the sun once again rose victorious over the darkness, Tea arose gracefully and stretched, cat-like, to welcome the morning.  At least that was what she had intended to do.  In reality, the princess awoke to find Yami peering down at her with a tray in his hands.  Startled and shrieking, she sat bolt upright, barely missing the plates Yami was holding.  Taking a quick step back, he apologized, "I'm sorry.  I shouldn't have snuck up on you."  Then, struggling to contain a snort, Yami snickered, "But you should have seen your face!"  With mock indignation, Tea sniffed, "You'd better give me that tray now before I have you thrown out for your insolence."  Now openly laughing, Yami settled himself and the breakfast fare beside Tea.  The two kept up a stream of pleasant conversation as Tea ate.  "I thought you might like to go out into the gardens today, if you feel up to it."  commented Yami.  With her mouth full of culinary delights, Tea could only nod and wave her hands around to express her enthusiasm.  "Excellent, I'll send someone up here with some fresh clothes after you eat."  was his reply.  

            The soothing sounds of a fountain in the distance and the chirps of birds relaxed Tea as she and Yami strolled through a lush garden.  The plot had been allowed to grow naturally, watered by a tiny ditch fed by the river Nile.  She and her companion had been wandering for hours now, but they never ran out of things to talk about.  Tea found herself being more and more drawn to this young man.  Abruptly, Yami stopped and put a hand on her arm.  "A message was sent to your parents, informing them of your ordeal."  He trailed off uneasily and seemed reluctant to continue.  "And?" Tea prompted.  "And they want to go through with the marriage as soon as possible."  Secretly, Yami was glad of this news; now that he had her, he never wanted to let Tea go.  The object of his affection was obviously less enthused.  Sighing, she thought to herself, "_I certainly can't marry the pharaoh now that I'm in love with Yami."  The thought had crossed her mind unbidden, but now she did a double take.  "__I'm in love with Yami!"  She peeked at him out of the corner of her eye and saw that his face was wrought with concern.  Struggling to contain herself, Tea linked her arm through Yami's and slowly set off down the path without saying a word.  Now was not the time to reveal her feelings.  The mention of her approaching marriage hardly set the proper mood for a declaration of love.  Yami could read his beloved's emotions through her expressive eyes, and he felt his heart sink as she clenched down on her emotions.  "__Why can't she love Yami and the pharaoh?" he queried silently.  For the first time that he could recall, the pharaoh was jealous of himself.  _


	4. Chapter the Fourth

                Tea awoke the next morning feeling as though she were about to burst.  She knew that she could no longer contain her love for her savior anymore than she could stop the Nile from flooding.  Comforted by the knowledge that Yami would soon know of her devotion, Tea busied herself with arranging her smooth brown locks.  She gave up after a few minutes, however, due to the trembling of her hands.  

            The pharaoh moved down the hallway with a determined air.  His dragging feet, however, betrayed the anxiousness he felt about reaching his destination.  Yami had lain awake all night, watching the moonbeams move across his chamber and brooding over his predicament.  "_If I tell her who I really am, she'll hate me." he informed his subconscious.  Every time he appealed to himself this way, though, an annoying little voice had perked up with "_But you love her, you have to tell her._"  Finally surrendering to himself, Yami had rolled over and vowed to tell Tea the truth the following morning.  _

            At last, the princess heard Yami's tread in the hallway and, breathless, she flung open the door.  A gaping Yami was quickly pulled inside and Tea nearly slammed the door in her excitement.  "Sit." she ordered and practically pushed the pharaoh into a chair.  Settling herself opposite him, she composed herself and gently took both of his hands in hers.  "Tea, I.." Yami began, but he was swiftly cut off with a gentle finger on his lips.  "Shhhh, let me say this while I can find the words." she pleaded.  Tea gazed into his ruby eyes and began with a shaky breath, "Yami, I can't marry the pharaoh.  Not because of what kind of man he is, but because I'm in love with someone else."  Here Yami opened his mouth as if to say something, but Tea rushed on.  "I'm in love with _you_ Yami.  I was a stranger here and you showed me nothing but kindness.  I love you......."  She trailed off, staring at her hands, which she had folded in her lap.  It seemed to her that an eternity had passed before, without warning, a gentle hand caressed her cheek and turned her face up towards Yami's smiling countenance.  He then twined his hand in her hair and softly drew her nearer to him.  When their lips were mere centimeters apart, Yami murmured, "And I love you."  Lost in their lover's euphoria, the couple failed to hear the loud, running footsteps outside until the door was cast open so hard it almost flew off its hinges.  A young page stumbled into the room and prostrated himself upon the stone floor in front of Yami.  "My lord Pharaoh," he said, gasping, "an urgent message from your high priest."  With this he dropped a scroll in Yami's lap and departed as abruptly as he had arrived.  Numbly, Yami raised his gaze to Tea's deathly pale, wide-eyed visage.  Wordlessly, she rose from her chair and fled the room.  


	5. Chapter the Fifth

Tea sprinted through the ornate gardens in which she had strolled only the previous day.  Still stunned by her revelation, she hardly noticed when the heavy gate she had just wrenched open caught her on the elbow.  

         ~~~~~~Flashback~~~~~~~~

 A young page stumbled into the room and prostrated himself upon the stone floor in front of Yami.  "My lord Pharaoh," he said, gasping, "an urgent message from your high priest." 

~~~~End Flashback ~~~

By the time she had finished recalling the incident, Tea had reached the outskirts of the village surrounding the palace.  Winded, she walked slowly into the glaring desert.  

As pharaoh, Yami had always been in control of most everything that went on, not only in his own life, but in those of his people as well.  Consequently, he was more than a little panicked when events beyond his control had conspired to ruin his confession. Ra, Tea had actually looked _frightened_.  He could only sit dumbly in his chair for the first few minutes after his love tore out of the room.  Finally, that same infuriating voice that had prompted the pharaoh to tell Tea in the first place jolted him with, "**_What _**_are you doing still sitting here?  Go find her, **NOW**!_"  Shaking his black and gold head to clear it, Yami rose, focused now, and strode out of the room to inquire as to the princess' whereabouts.  

Tea had been walking for only fifteen minutes but under the scorching desert sun she was quickly becoming dehydrated.  Just when she was about to give up and collapse, the princess spotted a patch of green about a hundred yards distant.  Putting all her energy into reaching the oasis, Tea stumbled the last few feet and collapsed beside a small spring.  Dipping her face into the water, she gulped the cold liquid and slowly gathered her wits.  To say that she was shocked would have been an understatement of cosmic proportions.  Her kind, loving, _handsome_ Yami could not possibly be the cruel, piggish man who supposedly ruled Egypt.  Tea suddenly recalled how strongly she had objected to marrying the pharaoh the first day that she and Yami met.  "_I said such terrible things, and they weren't even true._"  Unable contain her misery, her briny tears mixed with the fresh water of the spring.  

Yami quickly gathered that Tea had abruptly left the palace, heading west.  He ran to the stables, mounted his favorite black Arabian without even bothering to saddle him, and galloped out gate without so much as a backward glance.  When he reached the fringes of the desert, Yami picked up Tea's clearly visible tracks almost immediately.  He followed them at full speed, his horse's hooves leaving clouds of sand in his wake.  At last he arrived at the end of Tea's trail.  The young man could hear quiet sobs emitting from the lush greenery.  Yami felt as though his heart was being ripped from his chest.  Slowly, he parted the plants and approached the source of the weeping.  He found Tea curled upon the ground with her knees drawn up to her torso, her eyes red and swollen.  Yami kneeled down beside his love and gently gathered her to him, rocking slowly back and forth and making soft crooning noises.  

Tea was too lost in her misery to notice Yami's arrival until she felt herself being pulled into a tender embrace.  Tilting her tearstained face up towards him, she managed to croak out, "I-I'm sorry I ran like that.  I just needed to….to…..I don't know!"  Here she lapsed into fresh sobs and was comforted once more by Yami.  "I'm sorry too," he whispered against her hair, "I should have told you sooner, but I just couldn't find the right time."  Tea calmed herself so that only the occasional sniffle escaped her.  She focused her sparkling blue gaze solemnly on Yami's and said almost inaudibly, "I don't care if you are the pharaoh, I still love you."  Yami sighed with relief and crushed her against him, declaring, "Nothing, _nothing_ could make me stop loving you."  Pulling back slightly, he tucked a damp strand of chestnut hair behind Tea's ear, and then leaned forward to softly brush her lips with his.  Her senses buzzing, Tea pressed back against him more firmly while twining her arms around his neck. Yami delicately stroked her bottom lip with his tongue, silently asking permission.  It was granted, and Tea opened her mouth slightly to allow him entry.  Their tongues intertwined, eliciting a soft sigh from Tea.  Finally the need for air drove them reluctantly apart.  Tea smiled shyly up at her beloved before her mouth opened in a silent "O" in shock.  "Yami, do you realize what this means?" she asked breathily.  He shook his head, bewildered.  "You're pharaoh!  I was sent to be the pharaoh's bride!  _We're getting married!_"  With this she flung her arms around Yami, sending them both tumbling to the ground, laughing.  Cradling her head on his chest, staring up at the sky, Yami noticed that the sun was nearing its zenith.  Sighing, he drew himself and Tea to their feet.  "We should head back now if we don't want to get caught in the desert during the hottest part of the day."  Nodding in agreement, Tea stood on her tiptoes for one last kiss.  After parting, they walked hand in hand to where the horse stood contentedly munching on the foliage.  Yami vaulted on and then reached down a hand to pull Tea up in front of him.  As they neared the village, Yami suddenly commented to his bride-to-be, "Love, if I'm going to marry you, you have to promise me one thing."  Tea twisted to look him in the eye and replied, "Anything."  Grinning mischievously, Yami said, "Swear to me that I'll never have to rescue you from the desert again."  Elbowing him gently in the ribs and laughing, she responded, "I promise."


	6. Chapter the Sixth

            A figure clad in sheer white linen sat stiffly on a small bench as myriad servants swirled around it applying a touch of kohl here or smoothing a wrinkle in the gown there.    Tea was the calm eye of the storm of dressers and stylists that had descended upon her.  She had never been so supremely confident, felt so sure that what she was doing was right.  "_Today I'm marrying the man I love._" was the only thought that entered Tea's mind, and thus a sharp tug at her hair, courtesy of a particularly zealous hairdresser, was barely noticed.  The princess smiled slightly at the memory of a day, three months before, after she and Yami had returned to the palace deliriously happy and finally aware of their betrothal.  

~~~~~~~Flashback~~~~~~~~

            Tea and her fiancée sat across from one another on the large bed, their hands joined between them.  The night had slipped away as they talked, and now the morning sun tinted the limestone walls pink.  "I wondered why the pharaoh never came to see me." Tea remarked, curling her lips in a half smile.  "I just chalked it up to his overall atrocious-ness."  She shook her head ruefully now, "And I never thought to ask who you were."  Yami leaned across the bed and trailed a finger across her cheek and down her neck.  "But you know now."  Then he lay down, pulling Tea into his arms as he did so.  A soft knock reverberated throughout the chamber, and one of the pharaoh's advisors peered contritely around the door.  "I'm sorry to disturb you, my lord, but your counsel is required."  From the bed, Yami nodded once and said, "I'll be there in a moment."  He groaned softly and turned back to Tea, saying, "Love, I'll—" He broke off abruptly, realizing she had fallen asleep.  Yami rose, gently disentangling himself from Tea, and kissed her lightly on the forehead.  He walked out of the room as quietly as he could, his face revealing true happiness.   

~~~~~~~~End Flashback~~~~~~~

            The soon-to-be bride reached up to touch the spot where Yami had kissed her, earning her a reproving look from the servant who had spent the past fifteen minutes painstakingly powdering her face.  At last, the crowd of attendants withdrew, congratulating each other on a job well done.  Tea stood up and crossed the room to a full-length mirror of highly polished silver. She looked, in a word, stunning.  The gown hugged her curves appealingly, but was not overly suggestive, and the elaborate hair, jewelry, and makeup only served to enhance her natural beauty.  Tea, however, was only dimly aware of her breathtaking appearance, lost as she was in the memories of her beloved.  Bobbing her head absentmindedly in approval, she walked out to the palanquin that was to carry her to the temple where Yami waited.    


	7. Chapter the Seventh

Authoress' Note: This story is nowhere near finished.  I have quite a few plot twists in mind!  Enjoy!

            No expense was spared for the ceremony, as was fitting for the marriage of the living incarnation of Ra.  Garlands of exotic flowers adorned every building in the city, and the joyous population flooded the streets to celebrate the event.  Yami and Tea declared their fidelity to each other in the holy inner sanctum of the temple of the gods.  

            The new queen of Egypt only remembered the ritual itself as a blissful blur.  The only image that stood out clearly in Tea's mind was Yami's radiant grin.  Even during the reading of the most solemn passage of the Holy Scriptures he hadn't been able to stop smiling at her.  At last they moved outside to greet the assembled masses.  

            Tea sagged against the wall of the chamber that was now Yami's and hers.  "That was exhausting."  she said, closing her eyes.  The festivities had lasted all day and far into the night.  When she opened them again, Yami was mere centimeters away.  He quickly wrapped his arms around her waist and closed the distance.  Pulling back slightly and smiling, Yami whispered, "I'm glad we're finally married.  I was tired of sleeping in that guest bedroom."  Tea barely had time to register her surprise before the pharaoh's lips melded with hers for a second time.  Through a haze of pleasure, she felt her love's hands skim over every part of her body he could reach.  Yami shifted Tea back a step, effectively pinning her to the wall, and pressed his hips against hers.  Moaning softly, she moved back against him. Unable to resist any longer, Yami lifted Tea easily into his arms and strode over to the ornate bed.  

            He tenderly placed his queen in the center of the pillows and arranged himself beside her, propped up on one elbow.  Tea reached over to kiss him passionately and, with one hand tangled in his distinctive hair, she pulled lightly at his elaborate wedding apparel.  Taking the hint, Yami swiftly yanked off the offending clothing while simultaneously removing his wife's.  He paused now, imbibing Tea's astonishing beauty.  She was likewise enthralled with his lean, muscular form.  Yami ran a sensuous hand between over her breasts and over her stomach to come to rest between her thighs.  He stroked lightly, causing Tea to arch into his hand and tighten her grip on his hair.  Encouraged, Yami continued his caresses, but now he slipped one long finger into his beloved, this time eliciting a loud moan.  Tea couldn't tell how much long he fondled her, but she let out a mew of protest when he withdrew.  Consoling her with a kiss, Yami gently situated himself so that he was resting on top of her hips.  Suddenly fixing his gaze on hers, he asked worriedly, "Do you want this?"  Tea's eyes reflected nothing but affection and trust as she replied, "Of course.  I love you."  Murmuring, "And I love you." Yami slowly thrust pushed himself into her.  As he pushed passed the barrier he encountered, he kissed Tea and stifled her cry of pain.  The twinge quickly turned into pleasure and she was soon lifting her hips in time with Yami's.  Their moans echoed in the stone chamber as their feelings mounted.  Finally, the sensations could be borne no longer and the king and queen of Egypt cried out in release as one.  

            Still panting, Yami rolled over on his side, tucking Tea against his chest at the same time.  She peered at him with half-lidded eyes and then placed a chaste kiss on his lips.  They both fell into a sated sleep just as the golden sun appeared over the horizon.  

Authoress' Note: I'd just like to say that I dislike the word "thrust" and most humbly beg the reader's forgiveness for using it.  


	8. Chapter the Eighth

Authoress' Note:  Thank you for your reviews and patience!  Enjoy chapter eight!  

            Peace and prosperity lasted almost a full year before the Shadow Games started.  Dark sorcerers once again learned how to control the terrible powers of the monsters locked in stone tablets.  Day after day, Yami would come home exhausted after watching his supporters fall.  Eventually only the pharaoh himself was left to duel the forces of evil and defend the fate of the very world.  

            Tea despised having to see her once lighthearted husband being burdened with a war with such massive consequences.  He was still as loving as ever, but he was surrounded by an aura of perpetual worry.  On the eve of what was hopefully to be the final, climactic battle, Yami was nowhere to be found.  Tea searched all the rooms of the vast estate before she finally found him in the garden, carefully regarding the vivid sunset.  The amber light gave his lightly tanned skin an additional glow as he turned.  Tea proceeded slowly, unsure if he wanted to be alone.  Her unasked question was answered when Yami smiled softly and held out his arms.  "I was just thinking how I have to win, how I can't let this beautiful world be destroyed." he looked down at Tea, now firmly in his embrace, "I can't let them take you."  The queen tipped her head back to peer intently into his eyes.  "And you won't."  she said with the utmost confidence.  The she stepped back and took Yami's hand saying, "Come.  I have something to show you."  

            Yami allowed himself to be guided through the torch-lit hallways, his mind concentrating on formulating his dueling strategy.  His determination to win had been strengthened even more after Tea's reassurances.  Yami felt his wife release his hand and he brought his mind back from mulling over his deck.  He realized that they were in their bedchamber and watched as Tea pulled seven elaborate boxes from the chest that contained her infrequently worn robes of state.  She beckoned to him as she said, "I wanted to give these to you before you duel tomorrow.  I had them made as a wedding present, but they weren't ready until last month."  As Tea spoke, Yami opened the boxes one by one.  They each held a dazzling gold object.  A pyramid-shaped puzzle, a large ring, a small orb, an ankh, a set of scales, a necklace, and a golden rod emerged, each emblazoned with the eye-shaped seal of the pharaoh.   "Thank you, love." Yami said, leaning over to kiss Tea softly, "I can't tell you how much this means to me."  

            In the depth of the night, as Tea lay sleeping beside him, Yami stared at the ceiling.  Unable to sleep, he had spent the past few hours becoming intimately familiar with every single crack in the stone.  Bored, he suddenly remembered the golden puzzle Tea had given him.  Yami slipped silently out of bed, lightly brushing Tea's forehead with his lips as he did so, and retrieved the puzzle.  He had always had a proclivity for games and puzzles of all kinds.  Therefore, he was surprised when, after manipulating the shining pieces for hours, he still had not solved it.  With his mind finally focusing on something besides the upcoming battle, the pharaoh slipped into a dreamless sleep, still hunched over the puzzle.  

            Tea awoke just as the sun rose to find the spot beside her empty and cold.  She panicked for a moment before seeing her husband sleeping in a chair.  "_He looks exactly the same as the first time I saw him._"  Tea thought to herself, feeling a warmth rise within her.  As she moved closer, Tea could see the glint of gold in Yami's hands.  Her hands moved by themselves, taking the puzzle and the final, contrary piece.  Still basking in her love for Yami, Tea absently slipped the piece in and rotated it.  With a loud click, it moved into the correct position, completing the pyramid.  The noise concurrently brought Tea out of her reverie and woke Yami.  He stared, astonished, at the finished enigma in her hands.  Tea, too, was shocked to see what she had done.  "I-I was just thinking about you and playing with it." she stammered.  Understanding dawned on Yami's handsome face.  "The gods must have guided your hand." he said, voice filled with emotion.  "I will wear this today.  As long as I have your love, nothing can harm me."  With this he slipped the cord of the puzzle around his neck and pulled Tea against him.      

            The couple stood in that bittersweet embrace for hours, cherishing the time together but also cursing it because it might be their last.  All that was said were whispered reassurances of love.  The minutes slipped away much faster, it seemed, than they should have, and it was time for Yami to leave.  Tea's resolution to not cry instantly crumbled and tears streamed noiselessly down her face.  Yami's heart wrenched at the sight and he said passionately, "What I said in the desert was true.  _Nothing_ can take me away from you.  Even if something does happen to me today, I _will_ find you." he tilted Tea's head back to look into her eyes.  " I love you."  Choking back a sob, Tea proclaimed with equal intensity, "And I love you.  No matter what happens, I'm yours forever."  Yami and Tea sealed the promises with a kiss that joined the mind, body, and soul.  The pharaoh pulled back and walked out of the room, glancing back only once.  

            Tea isolated herself in her chamber, unable to bear a running commentary of the duel.  Throughout the day, however, she became increasingly optimistic.  "_Our love will bring him back to me._" was her mantra.  Just as the sun was setting, Tea heard footsteps in the corridor.  With hope welling within her, she flung the door open.  One of the few remaining ministers stood before the queen, despair written plainly across his face. In his hand was clutched the golden puzzle. He handed it to her saying, "This was all that was left.  He sacrificed himself to seal the demons away."  Tea managed to nod mutely and close the door before the grief-wracked screams tore out of her soul and echoed on the limestone walls. 


	9. Chapter the Ninth

Disclaimer:  I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.  But if I did…..oh the possibilities…….

            An interminable amount of time passed before Tea emerged from what was once again only her chamber.  The screams had only recently faded into quiet sobs and then into an even more disturbing silence.  As the widowed queen passed through the halls, her eyebrows shaved in mourning, everyone she met was shocked by her sudden transformation.  The once vibrant and youthful Tea, while still beautiful, was now as pale as the limestone that surrounded her.  But the most startling change was in her eyes.  They were haunted, but burned with a passion and determination that only she could identify.

            Tea attended to all of the funeral arrangements herself, not allowing anyone else to get involved.  She commissioned a special sarcophagus with slots to hold the seven items she had given Yami.  She worked like a woman possessed, and the rest of the court was beginning to believe she was.  Finally, the preparations were complete.  As there were no physical remains, only an empty casket adorned with seven golden items was interred in the Valley of the Kings to represent the pharaoh.  

            Peculiarly, the most difficult part of the funeral for Tea had been placing the pyramid-shaped puzzle into its niche.  She felt as though she had banished the only real part of Yami left to a cold, dark crypt.  During the brief, solitary lulls between furious bouts of planning, the queen had actually talked to the relic.  

~~~~~~~Flashback~~~~~~~~~~

            Tea sat on the too-large bed, turning the puzzle over and over in her hands.  She no longer screamed, but in the privacy of her quarters a constant stream of tears slid noiselessly down her face.  

"Where are you, love?"  She addressed the puzzle, shaking her chestnut head.  

"There was nothing left, you have to be somewhere."  

            As a fresh wave of despair washed over her, Tea felt it being pushed back by something else.  It was a feeling she had not felt in what felt like forever.  The warm tendrils of love wrapped themselves around her, easing her pain.  The young woman gave herself over to the soothing presence that seemed to emanate from the puzzle she cradled against her.  A foreign, but not unfamiliar, voice entered her thoughts with a simple message:  "_Miss you too.  We'll find each other…_" Tea sat bolt upright, eyes wide in shock.  "_Yami!_"

~~~~~~~End Flashback~~~~~~

            The widow eventually convinced herself that the voice was merely a product of her angst.  Still, as she sat in the room she had shared with Yami, she was beginning to wish that she had not sealed the object that had given her momentary comfort within the pharaoh's tomb.  Suddenly incapable of staying in a room so crowded by memories, Tea bolted unescorted to the temple of the Gods.  She threw herself down in front of an altar, frantically praying to whichever god happened to be listening.  

"_Just take me to my love.  PLEASE!_"  

Tears mingled with slight variations of this plea for hour after hour.  Food and water were brought but left at the entrance, as no one dared to disturb their queen.  Tea poured her soul onto the smooth stone of the altar, and somewhere in the heavens it was deemed worthy.  With a cosmic snap of the fingers, her wish was granted.  

Before she had time to react, blackness enveloped Tea and she was whisked off to a most unlikely time and place.  

            Sixteen year-old Tea Gardner groaned as she rolled over to slap the snooze button yet again.  After flailing unsuccessfully for a moment, she was forced to open her eyes.  The red numbers stoically declared the time.  "Oh my God!  I'm late _again_!"  Tea screeched as she vaulted out of bed.  She struggled with her pink and blue school uniform, swearing to murder the misogynist who designed it.  Dressed at last, Tea darted out her front door, narrowly avoiding colliding with the short boy who stood before it.  "Oh, hi Yugi!" Tea exclaimed, her eyes locking with his large purple ones.  

Authoress' Note: Ah, the joys of _deus ex machina_.


	10. Chapter the Tenth

Tea sat in algebra, fighting to stay awake. The soporific effect of her teacher's voice was nearly impossible to resist. To distract herself, Tea let her mind wander to ponder her best friend, Yugi Mutou. They had always been friends, but he and Tea had become especially close after Duelists' Kingdom. Of course, one could not think of Yugi without also remembering the unusual object he constantly wore around his neck. Indeed, Yugi himself reminded her of the golden puzzle. At first glance, he appeared to be nothing more than a teenage duelist, albeit the world champion, but when Tea actually watched him duel, there was something distinctly odd about the boy. The change in Yugi had been a mystery to them both before the tournament, but they now knew that he had bonded with the ancient spirit that resided in his Millennium puzzle. Tea was both fascinated and frightened by Yugi's darker half.

No one knew where he came from, not even the spirit himself. According to Yugi, the puzzle had come from an Egyptian ruin, but anything beyond that was speculation. During Duelists' Kingdom, Tea had only interacted with the phantom briefly during duels while he trounced opponent after opponent. Nevertheless, his confidence and something else she couldn't name drew her to him. Tea suddenly felt vaguely uncomfortable, and she turned to find a pair of chocolate-brown eyes fixed on her. Ryou stared innocently back at her and smiled blandly. Forcing her mouth into a facsimile of her normally radiant grin, Tea turned back the teacher, still feeling uneasy.

Yugi was also having trouble paying attention to his work, but for an entirely different reason. He actually wanted to learn about ancient Egypt and perhaps find something out about his puzzle, but unfortunately so did the spirit within it. They compromised by mind shuffling every five minutes with the result that neither of them learned anything. Yugi was in control when a slip of paper was plopped down on his desk. "This is an opportunity for you people to actually enrich your minds instead of rotting them in front of the TV." the teacher droned, "Go see the Egyptian exhibit and write a two page paper on how it broadened your world view." Yugi, along with the rest of the class, rolled his eyes. Then it hit him. "_He said Egyptian exhibit!_" he thought excitedly to his other half. "_Maybe we can learn something about the puzzle._" The spirit agreed. "_Maybe we should ask our friends to come with us._" he said.

As it turned out, only Tea was free go to the museum that weekend. Joey and Tristan each had a mountain of homework that neither one of them could afford to skip, and Ryou was trying to catch up on a missed class with Yugi's borrowed history notes. Tea admitted to herself that she was glad of the opportunity to spend time with the spirit. Her thoughts were interrupted as Yugi rang the doorbell. "Hi!" he nearly shouted as he hugged her. "Hey Yu-" Tea began before a brief flash of light caused her to quickly cut off her greeting. Before her stood an almost exact duplicate of her best friend, but he was older and taller, and blonde streaks now extended into the black and magenta hair. "Hello Tea. Thank you for coming with us." the doppelganger said smoothly. Tea managed to choke out "Hi! No problem!" which was actually quite eloquent considering that her heart had dropped into her stomach.

As he walked, the spirit snuck glances at the girl walking beside him. She was beautiful, to be sure, but there was something else about her that warranted his attention. Shrugging mentally, he suddenly sensed amusement emanating from Yugi's soul room. At least the light one had the civility not to openly say anything. Suddenly he realized that Tea had asked him a question. "Excuse me?" he apologized. "I asked if you were nervous." she repeated. The spirit thought carefully before replying. "It is……. disturbing to not remember anything of your life. To be honest, I'm almost more afraid of knowing than I am of being ignorant. But I know that I could never forgive myself if I passed up an opportunity to find out who I am." Tea nodded solemnly, then rather gracelessly tripped on the museum steps. Her companion easily caught her and had to force himself to let the girl go. Tea forced back a wave of adrenaline, though from her near fall or being held by the mysterious young man she could not tell. "Come on" she breathed. He, feeling alternately apprehensive and excited, nodded mutely and followed Tea into the museum.

Ryou sat in his darkened room, still in a state of panic even though it had been nearly twenty-four hours. _He_ had returned. Ryou had felt him take over at school the previous day, and the evil presence's sudden interest in Tea nauseated him. He fingered the golden ring that he thought he would be rid of forever and cried. The spirit of the ring merely laughed.


	11. Chapter the Eleventh

Tea pushed her way through the crush of people, trying in vain to find her companion.  The shifting currents of happy museum goers had separated the pair  

 within three minutes of entering the exhibit.  She withdrew gratefully into a small alcove, catching her breath while still keeping an eye out for the spirit.  Suddenly, a huge, black-suited figure emerged from the crowd and loomed over Tea.  "Please come with me, Miss Gardner."  said the man.  With that, he grabbed her arm and steered her out of the wing, the crowd hastily parting before his bulk.  Hardly able to resist, Tea trotted to keep up with the man's large strides.  Soon they reached a door marked "Museum Personnel Only".  Tea's escort produced a small keycard and pulled her through the door with him.  She was ushered into a small but well-furnished room and instructed to wait.  Moments later, Yugi's doppelganger was also pushed into the room.  Tea almost felt sorry for his guide; the look the dark one was giving him would have frightened even the most stout of heart.  

            The door closed with an audible click and left the spirit and Tea alone in the room.  He quickly crossed the space and asked, "Are you all right?"  She nodded, frowning.  "Do you know why those Neanderthals brought us here?"  He shook his spiky head and seated himself on the tasteful couch upholstered in black leather.  Tea flopped down next to the phantom and stared broodingly at the walls.  "I wish whoever's behind this would hurry up."  she complained.  Just as the words left her mouth, the door quietly opened.  

            The doorway framed a striking young woman, almost tiny in comparison to the hulking bodyguards that flanked her.  She moved into the room, shutting the door behind her.  She held up her hand to forestall any questions, saying, "I'm sorry if my men alarmed you, but there was no other way to bring you here.  I am Ishizu Ishtar, the curator of this exhibit. I believe I have information that will be of great interest to the both of you."  Tea glanced up at the spirit who had automatically risen to his feet.  He, still looking warily at Ishizu, asked, "How did you know we would be here today?"  The woman shook her head, saying, "All of your questions will be answered in time.  Come with me please."  

            Tea flushed the toilet and leaned against the cool metal of the stall.  She grimaced, still tasting vomit, and moved to rinse out her mouth.  The girl stared at her reflection in the mirror above the sink, torn between feeling joy and overwhelming shock regarding her epiphany.

~~~~~~Flashback~~~~~~~

            Ishizu lead Tea and the spirit through a maze of corridors and stairwells, going progressively lower each time.  Finally, they reached the fourth sub floor and she entered a lengthy code into a forbidding-looking lock.  A large door, obviously designed to be fireproof as well as tamperproof, swung open and the three entered the new area.  A series of what appeared to be stone panels covered nearly all of the wall space, but Tea could not discern what was on them.  With the flick of a switch, Ishizu illuminated the carvings and invited her guests to examine them.  Tea stared keenly at the panel closest to her and was astonished at what she saw.  "_But those are duel monsters!_" she thought.  Indeed, behind her Ishizu launched into an explanation of how Ancient Egyptians had harnessed the power of the real monsters, launching the world into an immense war.  But her astonishment was nothing compared to the spirit's.  For the woman had just named the great pharaoh who had sealed the evil away five thousand years ago.  

            Tea watched as the ruby-eyed boy sagged against the wall, his eyes locked on one particular corner of a panel.  As she shifted her gaze to the area, Tea felt the blood drain from her face.  Inscribed on the stone was a perfect image of the young man opposite her.  Affirming what they all knew, Ishizu said, "_You_ are Yami.  Destiny has brought you to this time and place to defeat the evil once again."  Yami managed to look Ishizu in the eye and ask in a hoarse voice, "How do you know this?"  In response, she brought a graceful hand up to her throat to caress a golden necklace inscribed with the same symbol that decorated the Millennium puzzle.  "My Millennium necklace allows me to see both the past and the present.  That is how I also knew that you would come.  It has the same origins as your puzzle, I believe."  Tea could only watch, mesmerized, as Ishizu narrated the images of Yami's past that her necklace revealed.  The three watched as the pharaoh's supporter's were struck down, and then finally as Yami himself was forced to battle.  As the haze over his memory burned off, comprehension dawned on his face.   Abruptly, after watching the pharaoh being sealed in the puzzle, Tea's mind was reunited with her body in the underground vault.  She immediately looked to Yami.  His head was cocked slightly and he was staring into the distance.  Tea realized that he was having a conversation with Yugi.  After a minute or two, his startling eyes locked on her blue ones and he gave her a look she could not interpret.  

            Now more than ever, Yami felt a powerful pull towards Tea.  He could feel that there was an explanation, but that part of his mind was still closed to him.  Ishizu regarded both of them carefully.  "I wasn't sure if I should reveal the rest of your past to you, but it appears it would do more harm than good to hide it."  She turned to the girl, saying, "You too have a tie to Ancient Egypt, Tea.  But I cannot simply show you as I could Yami. That is only possible through the connection of our Millennium items. I can only prompt your memory.  The rest you will have to discover on your own."  With that, Tea's mind was bombarded with a montage of images.  She felt something rise within her, a part of her soul that had lain dormant for scores of centuries.  As quickly as they had begun, the memories stopped, leaving Tea with only fragments of her past and a queasy feeling.  She could only vaguely hear Ishizu telling her that it would take a few days for her mind to completely recall the memories.  Tea nodded numbly and suddenly bolted for the bathroom.  

~~~~~End Flashback~~~~~~

            So it was that Tea came to be in a small, dingy bathroom four stories underground struggling not to vomit again.  She managed to win the battle as another group of recollections fitted themselves into the incomplete jigsaw puzzle of her memory.  This meshing of her past and present selves was not going to be easy.  With the sick sense of deja vu subsiding, Tea could actually focus on the scenes themselves.  Warmth swelled within her as she watched Yami and herself on their wedding day.  She was still confused, but things were beginning to become clearer.  

            Yami ran swiftly through the halls, his mind still processing the rest of what Ishizu had shown him.  He could hear Yugi's extraneous cry of protest as he opened the door of the ladies' room.   Curled up next to the sink, as he expected, was Tea.  Her head was tilted back, her eyes closed.  She suddenly fixed her gaze on him, and they both smiled a smile of wordless, blissful understanding.  


	12. Chapter the Twelfth

            Ryou was finally driven out of his self-imposed isolation by hunger.  In a way he was grateful for the cramps; they helped him concentrate on something other than the darkness within him.  The white-haired boy pulled himself out of bed and dressed himself absently.  "_Maybe he won't come back._"  Ryou thought.  Verily, halfway through the sleepless night, the spirit had tired of tormenting his host and returned to his ring.  Ryou padded down into the kitchen and made himself a sandwich.  As he ate, he thought, "_I wonder where he is._"  Tentatively, Ryou reached out a finger of thought to the self-proclaimed stealer of souls.  Nothing.  He had just let out a small sigh of relief and turned to put his plate in the sink when white-hot pain erupted behind his eyes.  Screaming in pure agony, Ryou collapsed to the floor.  The plate shattered next to him, sending shards of ceramic into his pale skin.  Bakura materialized, slightly transparent, in front his vessel, momentarily shocking Ryou out of his haze of pain.  The spirit had never manifested himself physically before.   The two were almost exactly identical; only the cruelty that cloaked one distinguished them.  Coldly, Bakura stated, "Do that again, and I will kill you."  Ryou whimpered his submission.    "Good."  Without warning, Bakura invaded the other's mind and assumed control.  Grinning ferally, he began picking the splinters of plate out of his arms.  

            "How's Yugi?"  Tea's voice was slightly muffled as a result of her face being buried in Yami's chest.  They had sat, intertwined, for the past fifteen minutes in contented silence.  "A little stunned, just like we are.  Do you want to talk to him?"  Tea nodded eagerly.  A second and a burst of light later, her best friend stood before her.  "Are you all right?" spilled from both of their mouths at the same time.  Tea laughed, releasing tension she hadn't known she was carrying, and replied, "I'm very well, considering that I just found out I was the Queen of Egypt."  Yugi made an overly elaborate bow, saying "Glad to hear it, _Your Majesty_."  They both found this unbearably funny and fell to the ground in giggles.  Ancient Egyptians or not, Yugi and Tea were undeniably still teenagers.  The girl sobered suddenly and asked hesitantly, "Are you ok with the….relationship Yami and I have?"  Yugi regarded her thoughtfully for a moment and replied, "You're my best friend, Tea, and you know I love you.  And I feel like Yami is a part of me.  There are going to be problems, but I'm willing to accept them if it makes you and Yami happy."  Tea's eyes filled with tears as she pulled Yugi into a tight hug.  "You have no idea how much that means to me.  Thank you, Yugi." she whispered.  

Just then, another torrent of memories swamped Tea's mind and she moaned as her stomach lurched.  But her physical discomfort paled in comparison to the emotional anguish she felt.  For the memory of the night Yami disappeared had slipped into place and she was overcome by misery.  Yugi frantically tried in vain to comfort the sobbing girl, but quickly determined that he was not getting anywhere.  He let Yami take over, and watched worriedly from his soul room.  The pharaoh gently but firmly grasped Tea's chin and tilted her face up to his.  "Look at me!  I'm right here!"  His voice snapped Tea out of her shell and she slumped against Yami again.  She sighed, shaking her head.  "This is getting harder."  It was maddening for Yami, who could anticipate the painful memories his love would have to experience all over again, to not be able to help at all.  Suddenly very tired of the grimy bathroom, he suggested, "Let's go.  I'll take you home."  Tea nodded and let him help her up.  As they stepped into the hallway, they found Ishizu waiting.  "I hope what I have bestowed upon you is not too distressing.  It _was_ necessary for you to know."  Yami and Tea nodded and let the woman lead them back to the ground floor.  Ishizu bade them a warm farewell, and Yami had the feeling that he had not seen the last of this unfathomable individual.  

            Tea was surprised by how dark it was; she had spent longer in the museum than she had thought.  She and Yami walked in silence, hand in hand, through the dusk that was only punctuated by the occasional streetlight.  The lights became less and less frequent as they neared Tea's house, allowing the star-filled sky to pierce through the light-pollution.  Just as the girl moved to open the door, Yami reached out and stilled her hand.  He brought it to his lips, smiling.  She smiled back and wrapped her free arm around his neck.  Tea pulled Yami down and felt the touch of his lips for the first time in five millennia.  The embrace quickly became heated, and Tea opened her eyes to find his darkened with longing.  She felt the ancient part of herself rise to match, and she kissed Yami with abandon and pressed herself even closer.  As right as it felt, however, this sudden uprising of uncontrollable emotion frightened Tea and she drew back.  Fighting a nearly irrepressible surge of need even as she spoke, she addressed a worried and confused Yami; "I-I just can't.  Not right now."  He nodded in understanding, kissed her once more, and disappeared into the shadows he embodied.  

Bakura wandered aimlessly through the night, a purloined leather coat concealing his bandaged arms.  Its rightful owner now lay in an alley with a severe concussion.  It was good to be out at last, he thought.  It had been trying to simply watch his nauseatingly friendly little host run around with his equally disgusting friends.  Almost immediately, the spirit corrected himself.  The Tea girl could not be considered disgusting by anyone's standards.  Furthermore, Bakura recognized her.  His lips twisted in a smirk when he pictured stealing the pharaoh's most prized possession of all.  


	13. Chapter the Thirteenth

Authoress' Note: Slight language in this chapter, so please don't read if you're offended.          

A small desk lamp cast a solitary beam of light that pooled on the bed.  Tea sat cross-legged within its confines and paged, stubbornly, through a large encyclopedia.   She stared at a colorful picture of a courtyard of an ancient Egyptian palace, willing something, _anything_ to feel familiar.  Twenty minutes later she gave up, scoffing at herself.  "_What did you expect? To be able to go around correcting history books?_"  Tea lay back against the headboard, concerned by the numbness she felt.  Now that the initial shock of partially regaining her memories had worn off, the only thing she felt was fatigue.  She carefully placed the book on her nightstand and unfolded her stiff legs.  Just as she did, a set of memories from her previous childhood planted themselves in her consciousness.  Tea watched herself playing with a brindle greyhound… furtively trying on her mother's crown jewels… sitting in her father's lap while he read to her.  Paradoxically, she felt every emotion, every sensation, but at the same time was oddly disconnected from the events.  As the stream abated, Tea realized she was sitting on the floor.  She stood up, shakily, and blew out a deep breath she hadn't realized she was holding.  The girl suddenly realized that the customary wave of nausea had not come, but now a different kind of pain wracked her stomach.  She had not eaten since very early that morning, and her body's needs had been overshadowed by her stunning revelations.  Tea gave in to her stomach's pleas and quickly walked into the kitchen.  She headed straight for the freezer and pulled out a pint of chocolate-chip cookie-dough ice cream.  It had always been her ultimate comfort food and the one she turned to when she needed to do some serious thinking.  Not even bothering with a bowl, Tea plopped down on the couch and alternated sweet spoonfuls of ice cream with equally delicious thoughts of Yami.  

            The spirit himself walked slowly home through the darkness.  He had put up mental blocks, effectively barring even Yugi from his thoughts.  Yami felt bad for shutting out his other half, but he needed time to be truly alone.  He had to decide upon a strategy for helping Tea.  Yami allowed himself a brief smile at this; he really needed to stop regarding everything as a game of Duel Monsters.  He didn't feel rejected, exactly, but Tea's refusal had still stung.  "_Stop it!_" he chided himself, "_She doesn't remember everything you do.  You're lucky she still loves you at all._"  The spirit heaved a sigh as he realized he was going around in circles.  He opened his mind to Yugi, hoping he would have some helpful insight.   As he did so, a wave of anxiety washed over him, and his guilt increased further.  "_I'm sorry I had to do that._" he said telepathically to Yugi. The apology was readily accepted and Yugi said, "I take you don't have any idea what to do."  Yami nodded miserably, then quickly thought, "None." when he realized that the other could not see him.   Yugi continued, "Knowing Tea the way I do, she's probably really confused right now.  My advice is to give her a little space, but let her know you're there."  The thought of not spending every second possible with newly revived love made Yami want to kick something, but the wisdom of the words swiftly sunk in.  "Thank you." he said simply.  His shoulders slumped, and he once more became engrossed in his thoughts.  Had the pharaoh not been so distracted, he would have noticed a dark figure skulking behind a pile of trash on the opposite side of the street.  

            Bakura sneered in distaste at the odious reek his hiding place was giving off, but grudgingly admitted its utility.   He had been enjoying his jaunt through the city, and was irritated when he spotted that bastard pharaoh coming up the street to ruin his fun.  But the tomb robber rapidly realized that his nemesis was not paying him any attention in the least.  Torn between relief and resentment at having been denied a confrontation, Bakura dove behind a convenient mound of what he now realized were bags of used kitty litter.  Yami passed, and Bakura gloated internally when he saw that the pharaoh was obviously disturbed.  He was dragging his feet, and the spirit of the Ring was rapidly becoming irritated with the slow pace.  Bakura had to struggle to keep his nervous energy from erupting as a yell when he felt something firmly brush against his leg.  He whipped his head around to look at the mysterious presence.  A small tabby cat, obviously well fed, stared back at him with bright yellow eyes.  "_I bet you're the one who made this place smell like shit._" he sneered mentally.  Just as Yami rounded the corner, Bakura stood and nonchalantly kicked the cat into a wall.  He didn't give it a second thought as he ambled up the street in the opposite direction the pharaoh had passed.  

            The boy huddled in a small, gloomy corner of his soul room and tried to be as inconspicuous as possible.  Ryou had been forgotten as soon as he was pushed inside, and he observed Bakura's "fun".  It made him physically ill to watch.  Especially the cat.  He had wanted to cry then.  He had been doing that a lot lately, it seemed.  Ryou hated being stuck, helpless, in the cursed object that had brought Bakura into his life in the first place.  He had tried to fight, oh God how he tried.  But in a battle of wills, the pure, innocent Ryou had been no match for Bakura's twisted, demonic mind.  He was reduced to a shivering lump every time the spirit emerged, and he loathed himself for it.  Suddenly, Bakura appeared in front of him.  "_Speak of the devil…_" Ryou thought, savoring the irony.  "Having fun, little one?" Bakura said.  "Just thought I'd check up on you."  The innocent one tried, unsuccessfully, to keep his face stoic.  The spirit leaned down and carefully scrutinized his terrified counterpart and, to Ryou's surprise, swiftly turned to leave.  As he started to dematerialize, Bakura threw back over his shoulder, "I just wanted to make sure I could get down that pathetic look of yours."  Ryou blinked a few times in confusion, then curled up in a ball to try to discern whatever horrible plot Bakura had concocted.  

            The spoon went flying across the room as Tea jumped.  She had been so lost in thought that the sound of the doorbell had sent adrenaline coursing through her veins.  She calmed herself and walked into the foyer, hoping to see…….she didn't want to admit whom she wanted to see, lest her hopes be dashed.  Hurriedly pushing back her hair, Tea pulled open the door and gasped.  Before her stood Ryou, his face bruised, his arms bloodied.  His large brown eyes filled with tears as he said, "Oh, God….Tea please help me." 

Authoress' Note: No animals were harmed in the writing of this chapter.  Seriously, I feel horrible about that cat.  


	14. Chapter the Fourteenth

Authoress' Note: As always, I apologize for any typos and offer my gratitude to my fantastic readers.  

With considerable difficulty, Tea got one arm under the bleeding Ryou and half carried, half dragged him onto the sofa.  He seemed to be on the brink of unconsciousness, but he had grabbed her hand and was holding onto it with a vice-like grip.  Though the boy's skin was normally strangely pale, Tea could see that a ghastly pallor had spread across his body.  She was starting to panic; she had never really had to administer first aid to anyone. Tea, as gently but forcefully as she could, disentangled her hand. She ran to the bathroom and snatched up some gauze and disinfectant.  Tea sprinted back to the living room and bound her friend's wounds. "Ryou…..Ryou!  Wake up!  We have to get to the hospital!"  she said, lightly slapping his cheek.  He moaned lightly but did not stir.  Tea looked frantically about the room and her eyes at last locked on the phone.  But as she reached across Ryou to get it, he seized her arm again and said in a surprisingly strong voice, "No!" She looked sharply down at him, and he continued, weaker this time.  "No, I-I really think if I just rest…..here."  As he spoke, his eyelids drooped and he leaned further into the pillows.  The girl stared at the sleeping boy for a moment, torn.  Finally she made her decision.  "_He seems to be okay for now.  I'll take him tomorrow if he really needs it._"  The incredible demands on both her mind and body had taken their toll on Tea, and she soon fell asleep, stretched out next to Ryou.  

            The spirit was enjoying himself more than he could possibly say.  It had been all too easy to pose as his wretched little host and worm his way into Tea's house.  

~~~~~Flashback~~~~~

Bakura was quickly growing tired of kicking cats and inanimate objects.  He wanted to do something really entertaining. Suddenly, an idea dawned on him.  "_Let's see what the pharaoh was up to._"  The spirit of the Ring had honed his tracking skills by following moronic guards through the mazes designed to protect their master's tombs.  "_As if they could stop me._" he thought indignantly.  He picked up on Yami's path and followed it to a pleasant neighborhood.  It struck him as familiar and Bakura wracked his memory to figure out why.  A wanton smirk spread across his face as he realized where he was.  "_Maybe I'll pay Tea a visit._"  He could feel Ryou's fear emanating from the Ring and the perfect plan formed itself in his mind.  Tea had no reason to fear Ryou.                                                        Bakura quickly popped in on the boy to engrave that tear-stained face into his memory.  Now he searched for Tea's house.  As he walked, Bakura stripped off the leather coat, stuffing it into a trashcan as he passed.  Next came the bandages he had applied.  He would rather have let his wounds bleed freely, but he couldn't send every single person who tried to help him to the Shadow Realm.  He grimaced in distaste; the cuts had started to heal themselves. Stoically, he tore off the scabs and encouraged the lesions to hemorrhage.  Bakura stopped in front of a nondescript house and quickly checked to see if anyone was watching.  Satisfied that he was alone, the spirit bowed his head.  When he brought it up again, his innocent eyes were filled with unshed tears.  As Tea pulled him inside, he mentally congratulated himself.  

~~~~~End Flashback~~~~~~

            He looked down at the sleeping girl beside him, taking care not to stir too much.  Her beauty was truly wasted on the pharaoh.  Tea had been too exhausted to think about her position when she fell asleep, with the result that she was pressed rather closely against Bakura.  Not that he was complaining.  He had been content, for now, to simply lie with her, drinking in every aspect of her.  The sunlight was beginning to creep in around the drawn blinds, and Bakura regretted the end of their night together.  "_We'll just have to repeat it, won't we?_" he addressed the real Ryou.  Several times during the night he had tried to regain control of his body, but each time he was defeated and weakened even further.  Bakura grinned at Ryou's feeble protests, but a peaceful mask of sleep covered his features as he felt Tea begin to rouse herself.

            Through a pleasant fog of sleepiness, Tea could feel a warm mass snuggled up against her.  The sensation was familiar to her other half and she did not panic.  Until, that is, she saw opened her eyes and stared into Ryou's sleeping face.  She shrieked and accidentally propelled herself backwards onto the floor.  Ryou sat bolt upright and looked around for the source of the noise.  Tea, in a crumpled heap, finally recalled what he was doing there and rose to her feet with as much dignity as she could muster.  "Oh Ra Ryou, I'm so sorry!" she hastily apologized, "How are you feeling?"  The white-haired boy looked down at his gauze-swathed arms before replying, "I feel all right, I guess.  But I don't really remember much of last night."  Tea nodded, saying, "Yeah, you were in pretty bad shape."  Ryou hoisted himself off the couch and Tea took a step back in surprise.  He seemed so much taller than usual.  While certainly not as short as Yugi, Ryou had always been diminutive.  "_Maybe he hunches._" Tea thought and dismissed it.  She realized that he had been talking and hurriedly backtracked to remember what they were discussing.  "I can't thank you enough for what you did.  I'll never forget it."  Still trying to catch up, Tea just nodded.  "I should be getting home now." Ryou said as he walked towards the door.  He turned abruptly and took Tea by the shoulders.  "Thank you again." he said, squeezing gently and smiling.  She could only smile back weakly in return, and she slumped with relief when he finally shut the door behind him.  

            Yami had to summon his entire reserve of sangfroid to not jump when the telephone rang.  Yugi had tried to teach him how to use it, of course, but the spirit was still tempted to send it to the Shadow Realm every time the loathsome instrument went off.  He yanked Yugi out of the Puzzle and retreated to his soul room.  The light one, struggling to hold in his amusement, picked up.  "Um, hi Yugi.  Is Yami there?"  Tea's voice sounded off to the boy and it concerned him, but he said, "Yeah, just hold on while we switch."  As he returned to labyrinth of the Puzzle, he gently prompted his doppelganger, "Yami, remember, you don't have to shout."    The pharaoh, rather chagrined, pretended not to hear the comment and turned his attention to Tea.  "Will you come over?" she asked.  "I need to see you."  Yami, felt uneasiness trickle down his spine at Tea's tone and he immediately replied, "I'll be there in twenty minutes."  

            Bakura laughed at Ryou's premature relief.  He lounged easily inside the Ring, letting his host feel the consequences of a sleepless night.  "You think I'm done with her?  Idiot, I've hardly even begun."  He could feel Ryou cringe, and he continued, "Thank you, by the way.  I could never have done it without your beguiling little face."  In a futile attempt to rid himself of the taunting voice, the vessel tore off the Ring and shoved it under a pile of boxers in a drawer.  Then he threw himself down on the bed and slept.

            As his feet pounded the pavement, Yami's mind contrived all manner of horrible situations that Tea could be in.  But even as he was trying to think of a way to trounce a band of armed thugs, he knew Tea was not in any immediate danger.  She had sounded, as Yugi would put it, "weirded out".  This was, however, no less distressing to him.  The spirit flew up the stairs onto Tea's porch and rang the doorbell, resisting the urge to indulge his nervous habit of fiddling with the Millennium Puzzle.  The object of his desire pulled open the door and beckoned him inside.  Yami instantly noticed that she was wearing the same clothes she had been in the previous day and that there were large dark circles under her eyes.  "Tea, what….." his stomach clenched as he saw the blood that stained her white blouse.  "Not mine." She smiled wanly.  "That's why I needed to talk to you."  Despite himself, Yami felt his heart quicken as Tea gently took his hand and led him the couch.    She leaned into his chest as he spoke, and Yami had to force himself to concentrate on what she was saying.  "And something just felt _wrong_ about the entire thing.  Have you noticed anything strange going on with Ryou since Duelist's Kingdom?"  she finally finished.  He shook his head.  "No, but I'll keep an eye on him.  Try not to be alone with him if you can avoid it.  I don't want to take any chances."  Tea smiled; his protective tone made her feel warm and secure.  Acquiescing to the pull within her, she sat up and delicately placed a hand on Yami's cheek.  Just before she leaned in and kissed him, Tea looked deeply into his ruby eyes and murmured, "I love you."  


	15. Chapter the Fifteenth

Authoress' Note:  I have been instructed, on pain of death, to update by December the twenty-fifth.  How could I possibly say no?  ;)

            The owner of the flower shop watched a brown-eyed teenager particularly carefully, making sure he didn't steal any of his precious merchandise.  Bakura was beginning to chafe under the surveillance, so he nonchalantly grabbed the largest bouquet of red roses he could find and swaggered up to the counter.  With mock sincerity, he asked, "What do you think?  Do these say 'Thank you for saving my life, oh, and by the way, ditch the pharaoh and come with me'?"  The old man's face didn't even have time to register confusion before his soul was ripped out of his body and deported to the Shadow Realm.  Bakura indifferently stepped over the lifeless shell and headed out the door, flowers in hand.  

            By the second ring, Yami was on his feet, arm halfway extended to destroy the phone.  Anything that interrupted time with his love deserved to have its atoms scattered.  Tea shook her head, smiling, before answering.  The mirth left her face as she realized who was on the other end of the line.  "I'm sorry, Ryou.  I'm sort of busy right now."  Pause.  "Ok, I'll give you a call when I'm free.  Uh-huh.  Bye."  She placed the phone back in its cradle, taking more time than perhaps was necessary, then turned back to Yami.  He regarded her carefully for a moment, and then asked, "Do you remember Bakura?  From Egypt I mean, not Duelist's Kingdom."  Tea chewed on a cuticle, trying to dredge up the information.  Finally, she shook her head.  "I guess I haven't thrown up enough to get that information yet."  Yami fought to keep his face straight.  The resultant expression was so adorable that Tea had to kiss him.  A few minutes later, the couple composed themselves and the pharaoh began to explain Bakura's past.  

~~~~~~~Flashback~~~~~~~

            The blinding sun and oppressive heat only increased the young king's annoyance and made him even more determined to see justice done as quickly as possible. The trial was being held outside to make of example of the accused. The thief stood before him, his hands and feet bound.  He was charged with plundering the tomb of Yami's grandfather, and he did nothing to deny it.  On the contrary, this Bakura had boasted of his triumph in every wine shop in the city.  Unfortunately for him, the pharaoh's agents regularly frequented those shops and he was caught within seven days of the theft.  Yami did not normally oversee every single case himself, but this one had been a personal affront to his family and he wanted to put things right.  The trial was drawing to a close.  The pharaoh was glad.  The wind was beginning to pick up and he did not want to be caught in the middle of a sand storm. Bakura was given the option of a statement before he was thrown in prison.  He shuffled up to the royal dais and Yami instructed his guards to allow it.  Bakura serenely leaned up against the stone platform and said casually, "Your palace is quite lovely, my liege.  As is your wife.  Unfortunately, at the moment, I am only intimately familiar with one."  The pharaoh had just opened his mouth to order the tomb robber executed then and there when a huge gust of wind kicked up the sand of the marketplace, effectively blinding everyone.  When the air cleared, some minutes later, cut ropes were all that remained of Bakura.  It would have been unbecoming for Yami, as pharaoh, to scream profanities at the wind, so he merely repeated them over and over in his head as he rode home.  Tea's safety was his first priority and he doubled the guard around the palace that night as well as going to bed with a knife under his pillow.

~~~~End Flashback~~~~~

            "That is all I know about him, except that he is dangerous.  I don't know how he got the Ring, _our_ Ring."  Yami finished.  Even now his blood boiled at the thought of Bakura sneaking around his home, spying on his wife.  He suddenly noticed that Tea had gone rather pale and quickly said, "Why don't we adjourn to bathroom?"  She, not trusting herself to speak, walked shakily to the toilet and promptly emptied the contents of her stomach into it.  Yami gently pulled back her chestnut hair and waited for the retching to stop.  At last, Tea pulled back, flushed the toilet, and immediately dug around under the vanity.  She emerged with her prize: a liter bottle of Listerine.  After taking a swig that emptied a great deal of the container, she spat and said, "I remember that night now.  You didn't sleep at all."  Yami looked at her with interest, "So my telling you things helps the memories come?"  Tea shrugged and said, "I suppose so.  But do us both a favor, for now, and don't tell me anything else.  I'm getting kind of tired of not being able to eat anything without seeing it later."  Yami smiled and led her back to the living room.  

            Bakura waited until Tea hung up her phone before he slammed his down.  Then he took the roses off the counter and carefully placed them in the refrigerator to wait for another day.  She was avoiding him, he could tell.  He would have to move quickly, then, before she could refuse to see Ryou at all.  Briefly, Bakura wondered why Tea would suddenly become wary of her friend.  She had no reason to suspect the spirit of the Ring had possessed him again, not after the simian Tristan chucked the Millennium item into the woods on Pegasus' island.  It had taken several nights of surreptitious searching on Ryou's part to find it again, but it had been worth it to silence Bakura's voice in his head.  Bakura fingered the Ring, reliving the day he had stolen it; a day he still considered his finest moment.  

~~~~~~Flashback~~~~~~~~~

            The tomb robber expertly navigated the maze of tunnels and traps that were supposed to safeguard the recently buried pharaoh's eternal resting place.  He relied on wit and experience; not stolen blueprints like some other thieves.  They were the ones that usually ended up in the pits of crocodiles after becoming disoriented.  Bakura hopped out of the secret access tunnel into the crypt of the pharaoh himself.  Unlike the rest of Egypt, he welcomed the death of the god-king as a golden opportunity.  He ignored the sarcophagus and instead moved to the tables around it; the stone lids were always impossible to move and more riches lay around the mummy than inside its wrappings.  But something caught his eye, and Bakura turned back to the coffin.  Instead of the huge outer casing that indicated several sarcophagi, this one was small.  What was more, seven gold items rested on its lid.  Intrigued now, the thief experimentally lifted the lid.  It was empty.  Bakura shrugged; he had only listened to the gossip on the street to find out where the tomb was, and he did not particularly care what had happened to the pharaoh.  He turned his attention back to the gold and reached out to pick up an odd ring.  Bakura would have taken more, but as soon as he reached for the pyramidal puzzle, a wave of fury washed over him.  Bakura was not easily spooked, but even he could feel where he was not wanted.  The last time he had sensed anger like this was when he had commented to Yami on his wife. Still clutching the ring, he climbed back into the tunnel and out of the tomb.  

            Later that night, in his grungy little room above an equally grungy tavern, Bakura appraised the golden object.  It would probably buy him a nice house, and a couple of slaves as well.  Bakura did not care about this.  Occasions like this had come up before.  He stole because he loved to do it, not because he needed the money.  Busy devising ways to get the best deal out of his black market contact, Bakura failed to notice when the Ring began to glow strangely.  Thus, it was not until his spirit was drawn into and imprisoned in the object that he realized anything was wrong.  

~~~~~~End Flashback~~~~~~

            Now that he looked back on it, being stuck in the Ring for five millennia had been a rather good thing for Bakura.  Of course, he had been forced to watch as the tavern owner rifled through his belongings, stole his money, and sold the Ring.  But that was a small price to pay for the new opportunities this age offered.  At least now he had a chance of possessing the oh-so-desirable Tea.  She had looked simply delicious on the floor.  "_Oh Ra, Ryou, I'm so sorry!"  _The girl was utterly irresist-……….  Bakura's head snapped up and he tensed.  "_Since when does Tea say, "'Ra'"?_"  As realization dawned on Bakura, he seized a large knife and flung it into the wall where it stuck, quivering.  "_She knows!_"


	16. Chapter the Sixteenth

Authoress' Note: Sorry it took me so long to update, but I kind of burned myself out the last time.

Bakura's first instinct was to pull the knife out of the wall, slit the pharaoh's throat, and carry off Tea. But as soon as it suggested itself, the thief dismissed it. Rash action had never been his style, and acting too soon might diminish his chances of success. A bowl shattered next to the knife as another thought struck Bakura. "_If she remembers, maybe **he **does, too._" He had known that he would have to face the pharaoh in this time as well, but Bakura had hoped he at least had the advantage of a full memory. Infuriating as this possible development was, the spirit reasoned, it was not dangerous. No one knew Bakura had returned. Yet. Perhaps it would be wise to accelerate his plan.

Tea flipped through all eight hundred of the offered cable channels, refusing to settle on one. She had said goodbye to Yami after a meal of microwaved Spaghetti-O's, the only food Tea wanted to take the time to make, and given Yugi a parting hug shortly after that. As almost all of her memories had returned, Tea hoped that her stomach would remain as calm as it had been for the past few hours. She paused and stared inattentively at an infomercial for a rotary nose hair trimmer as she reviewed each of the scenes of her past life. It was a curious experience, this amalgamation. She was still trying to find a balance between her two halves. Tea realized what she was watching, and with an "Eeeewwww!" finally turned off the TV. She could reminisce in bed without having to look at a revoltingly hairy nose. She went upstairs to what she knew would be a sleepless night.

A woman in an exceedingly low cut shirt pawed at Bakura as he tried to make his way into the bar. A hard look from him made her retreat quickly, muttering something about his mother and a dog. The spirit of the Ring continued, indifferent, into the smoky recesses of the building. He looked around disdainfully, then made his way to a table in a poorly lit corner. In contrast to the rest of the institution, this table was littered with cigarette butts instead of beer bottles and held only a single patron. Bakura flopped down opposite the large man who looked like he could use a nose hair trimmer and dropped a large wad of money on the table. The owner of the now discarded jacket had obviously been rather wealthy and mistrustful of credit cards; no one who did not fit that description would carry around several hundred dollars around in cash. The hairy man nearly inhaled his cigarette but ended up spitting it onto the floor. Bakura began without preamble, "That can be yours, but only if you do exactly as I say. If you get drunk and screw it up, you'll not only lose the money, but I _will_ kill you. Do you understand?" He could see that the man was bridling at his condescension but restraining himself. "Yeah. Whadam I suppos'd ta do?" Ignoring the stench of cigarettes, Bakura leaned in to explain.

The man grunted as Tea's school bag caught him in the stomach, but it did little to slow him down. Adrenaline surged through the girl's veins, allowing her to put on a burst of speed as she turned down another unfamiliar alley. Tea's fight-or-flight response shut out everything but the pounding of her feet on the pavement, but even if she had been able to think about why this man was chasing her she wouldn't have been able to come up with a reason. She had tried screaming for help, but she had been herded into a part of town that was populated only by those too inebriated to help even themselves. "_Herded._" That word broke through into her conscious mind just as her pursuer reached out and grabbed her tangled hair. Tea's head snapped back, quickly followed by the rest of her body. She landed on her back, hard enough to knock the wind out of her, with the man towering above. He leaned down and leered at her. Tea cringed. But suddenly his grin froze on his face and he keeled over on top of her. Tea wiggled out from beneath him to see Ryou's hand extended to her. "Ryou! I-he was…." she panted, unable to put together a sentence. Then she gawked for a moment and shrieked. For she had finally noticed the hairy man, face down, with a knife firmly embedded in his neck. Instinctively, Tea tried to wrench away, but she realized that Ryou still had a grip on her hand. All she ended up doing was spinning herself around to face him. His face was expressionless as he bent down to wipe the handle of the knife with his sleeve, never once letting go of the girl. "We have to leave." was all he said. Tea was too stunned to oppose him, so she followed passively.

Although he maintained a stoic façade, inwardly Bakura was crowing. It had been far easier than he expected; dispose of the lackey, get Tea, keep the money. And she had put up so little resistance! They soon came to a relatively nondescript house and Ryou led her inside. As the door clicked shut behind her, the full implications of where she was and whom she was with dawned on Tea. "_You say you're going to avoid him, so of course you go home with him! To say nothing of the fact that you just saw him kill someone!_" She backed gradually away from him, saying, "Ummm…Ryou, I really think I should go." He cocked his pale head, amused by her discomfort, and said, "Really? Because I'd like you to stay." Tea opened her mouth to speak, but he continued. "And I would appreciate it if you would call me by my proper name." She closed her eyes and said flatly, "Bakura." He made a slight bow. "Your Majesty." Her eyes flew open at this and he smiled. "You really should watch what you say." Tea suddenly realized that the spirit of the Ring had come unnervingly close, but he placed his hands tightly on her waist before she could move. "Poor, naïve Tea." he breathed into her hair. "Helping me without even asking why." It was this last comment that really repulsed Tea. "_Compassion is not a weakness._" She promptly brought her leg back and kneed him in the groin. As he fell back, oddly silent, she followed up with a kick to the stomach. But before she could touch him, Bakura had rolled up onto his feet and out of the way. He grabbed one of Ryou's neckties off of the coat rack and wrapped it around her neck from behind. He didn't garrote Tea for long, however, and soon put her down to ask, "Had enough?" In response, the queen slapped him harshly across the face. Bakura immediately swept her legs out from beneath her and they both went down in a flurry of punches. He landed on top of Tea, straddling her hips. He grinned wolfishly as he fully appreciated their position. "Mmmm. Not yet." Tea glared up at the spirit, about to throttle him with her bare hands, but suddenly his expression went blank and he coldly smashed his left elbow into her left temple.

Reluctantly, Bakura lifted himself off his captive and scooped the dazed girl into his arms. To his surprise, she was not unconscious. He carried Tea into his bedroom and placed her tenderly on the bed. "_That wasn't so bad, was it?_" he asked Ryou. The boy had long ago given up on trying to stop Bakura and had quietly observed from the Ring. The spirit received no answer.


	17. Chapter the Seventeenth

            "LET ME OUT YOU SON OF A BITCH!"  More pounding followed as Tea screamed again.  Her throat was growing raw with the effort, so she switched to just hitting the wall as hard as she could.  She succeeded in kicking a hole through the drywall, which, while satisfying, was hardly a viable escape route.  Still, the girl kept up the barrage of blows in hopes of getting a reaction out of the spirit who held her.  Tea had come out of her trance-like state a few minutes previously with a splitting headache.  The one small window in the room revealed a twenty-foot drop straight down.  She was furious at herself for falling so easily into Bakura's snare.  She didn't even want to think about what had happened to Yami…but her thoughts were interrupted as she heard someone moving outside the room.  Tea flattened herself against the wall next to the door and prepared to ambush whoever entered.

            Bakura smiled fondly as another volley brought down a gentle shower of plaster from the ceiling.  Tea was anything but the stereotypically helpless female.  Still, as much as he enjoyed hearing her struggle, she was making enough of a racket that even the drunken neighbors might become suspicious.  He went upstairs and removed the chair with which he had braced the door.  The spirit pushed it all the way open, remaining outside, and surveyed the apparently empty room.  He sighed softly.  "Tea, this insults both of our intelligences." No answer.  Bakura shrugged and stepped over the threshold.  As he expected, the attack came from his right.  He easily sidestepped and slammed Tea against the wall.  She slid down, tears forming in her eyes.  Bakura watched her for a moment to make sure she was done, then lowered himself to the floor and pulled in into his arms.  "I don't want to hurt you, sweetheart, but you look so beautiful when you cry."  he said quietly.  She had lain lifelessly against him, but stiffened and pulled away at that remark.  

            Tea was in full sovereign mode now, and she was pissed.  Royally so.  She drew herself to her feet and looked down at Bakura contemptuously.   "Why even bother to go to all this trouble?  You could have just controlled me with the Ring."  It was painful to recall that the Millennium Ring had once belonged to her and Yami.  Bakura raised an eyebrow.  "Where's the challenge in that?  I find that things that come easily are very rarely worth having."  Tea's bearing changed subtly; she became warm, inviting.  "Have I been worth it?"  she purred as she lowered herself gracefully beside him.  Bakura rolled his eyes mentally; he knew what Tea was doing, but he would let her proceed anyway.  She lifted a hand and lightly stroked his face, then moved down to his chest.  The spirit allowed himself to revel in the sensations, but he was not at all surprised when Tea seized the Ring and, with a sharp tug, ripped it from his neck.  She hastily retreated to the opposite side of the room and stared at him expectantly, waiting for Ryou to appear.  But the seconds ticked by and Bakura remained, looking almost bored.  "If you wanted to look at it, all you had to do was ask."  She glared stonily back at him as he stood and crossed the room.  He plucked the Ring from Tea's hands and placed it back around his neck.  Though she betrayed no emotion, internally Tea felt a cold hand of fear close on her stomach.  Her plan had failed and now Bakura stood between her and the door.  He did not come any closer, however, and now he headed back out into the hallway and Tea began to relax slightly.  But before he shut the door, the spirit gave her an intense look that promised there was much more to come.  

            Yugi sat behind the counter in the Kame Game Shop, flipping through his deck and discussing his strategy with Yami.  They had just begun a duel when a high-pitched chime announced the arrival of a customer.  He looked up to find Ryou weaving his way between the racks to the back of the store where Yugi sat.  He felt Yami bristle, but Yugi was slower to condemn his friend.  There was no sign of the Millennium Ring and Ryou appeared to be perfectly normal.    He grinned as he plunked down a large notebook on the counter and said, "Hi!  Thanks for letting me borrow your history notes last week.  Sorry I took so long, but I've had a lot of…stuff going on." Yugi nodded in understanding and motioned towards Ryou's arms.  "How are you feeling?  Sorry, Tea was worried about you and she told me."  Ryou shrugged, "Fine.  They've almost healed."  Yugi kept up the conversation with half of his mind and with the other half spoke to Yami.  Apparently, neither the spirit nor Tea knew what had happened either.  A few minutes later, Ryou said goodbye with a cheerful wave and left the store.  "_He doesn't seem like Bakura._" Yugi thought to his symbiont.  The pharaoh conceded that point, but advised caution.   Yugi happily agreed and, notes in hand, went upstairs to read for the rest of the afternoon.  

Tea refused to look at Bakura as she passed him into the hallway.  Still, he insisted on ushering her down the stairs with a firm hand on the small of her back.  In the kitchen, she haughtily refused the chair he indicated.  He took these small acts of defiance in stride, only acknowledging them with an, "As you wish."  Tea knew it was ridiculous, but she was fighting back with the only means she had left.  Bakura had prepared something that smelled delicious and would be almost impossible to turn down.  He smiled, satisfied, as she took a first, wary bite of baked salmon.  Her resolve would break soon, and then she would be his.  Bakura pulled open the refrigerator and carefully removed the bouquet of roses.  His smile grew wider as he imagined the pharaoh, alone and wild with fear, while the lowly thief gave his queen flowers.   

            The moon rose and with it brought high winds that whistled annoyingly around the corners of the house.  Yugi was in bed, half asleep, when a thought gently floated to the forefront of his mind.  He sat up in abject terror.  "OH MY GOD!"  Yami instantly took over, expecting to see an armed intruder threatening his light.  He looked around the empty room in confusion; still acutely aware of the distress Yugi was emoting.   "_What's wrong?_" he asked agitatedly.  Yugi's reply was swift and flustered.  "I have a history test tomorrow that I didn't study for!"  Yami let out a huge whoosh of air and let the other possess his body again.  "_Don't do that, Yugi!  I thought you were being attacked!_" The boy quickly apologized before jumping out of bed and switching the desk light on.  Wearily he pulled the notebook in front of him and flipped around for the right page.  He found his notes, but something made him turn back.  It was a page, completely blank save for a single line.   Yugi felt himself go cold as he read.

"I have her, but I haven't had her.  Yet."  


	18. Chapter the Eighteenth

Authoress' Note:  Sorry to have taken so long, but I've had insane computer problems.

Yugi sat at the desk reading the line over and over.  With each repetition, the overt threat behind the words grew exponentially.  He sat tensely, not daring to even breathe.  "_Yami…_" The pharaoh emerged from the Puzzle, translucent, and leaned against the desk.  "Yugi, don't worry about it!"  Yami's eyes stopped in mid roll when he saw Yugi's terrified expression.  "What?"  The boy wordlessly pushed the notebook across the desk to the other.  His eyes moved quickly across the text, but Yami's face remained expressionless.  Five minutes passed, but still the spirit did not move.  Finally, Yugi hesitantly reached out.  "What are we going to do?"   Yami looked at him and said evenly, "We're going to get her back."

            "_She actually smiled!_"  thought Bakura triumphantly.  Tea sat, more relaxed now, cradling the large bouquet of roses.  And indeed, a faint smile graced her lips.  She suddenly noticed his eyes upon her and looked up.  Their gaze locked for a moment before the girl's eyes narrowed and she shoved the flowers onto the table.  Tea turned her head and stared blankly at the wall ahead.  "It won't work, Bakura."  She said this as much to reassure herself as to inform him.  She couldn't admit it even to herself, but Tea knew she had slipped when Bakura handed her the roses.  She could hardly have helped it, though; Tea's subconscious was working against her.  To protect itself from the traumatic situation, her psyche was adapting by putting a surreal twist on what Tea experienced.  As a result, the consequences of giving in to Bakura were becoming less and less dire by the hour.  

Tea, of course, was completely oblivious to the underlying rationale for her strange feelings, but they frightened her more than the spirit that inspired them.  A sensation of choking suddenly descended upon Tea; she _had_ to get away from him.  "I have to go to the bathroom." she rasped out and promptly ran from the room.  Bakura followed placidly.  He knew exactly what was going on in Tea's head, and he also knew that she would eventually crumble and embrace it.  

            A large crash echoed through the house as Tea slammed the bathroom door and threw the deadbolt.  She panted shallowly, trying to be as quiet as possible.  She could sense his presence outside and she didn't want him to know just how upset she was.  The girl closed the lid of the toilet and sat down.  "_Yami…_" He seemed like a nice guy.  A little serious, perhaps, but definitely cute.  Tea recoiled at the thoughts that were going through her mind; that was _not_ the way one thought about one's husband.  She put her head in her hands.  "_What's happening to me?_"  A soft knock broke through her contemplation, and then a voice floated into the room.  "Tea, may I come in?"  Her eyes widened, but she couldn't even say "No" before the door swung inward and Bakura stepped through.  "But I…" she started.  He grinned and flourished a screwdriver.  Sympathy quickly replaced the elation on his face, however, and he crouched down in front of Tea.  She stared down at her hands, but he stroked lightly along the length of her neck with his pale hand until she looked at him.  The hand moved to the back of her head and held it securely as Bakura leaned in.  

            **Plan F: Find an overhanging tree branch, drop onto the roof, climb in through a window, murder Bakura in the most violent, painful way possible, rescue Tea.  **

Yami growled and paced the room.  Each plan was becoming progressively less feasible, but it was damn near impossible to be objective when that bastard had the woman he loved.  The spirit's thin pretense of calm had quickly evaporated when Yugi had objected to simply running out into the night to wreak vengeance upon Bakura.  "Yugi, this isn't working!  We're wasting time!"  Inside the Puzzle the boy was also pacing.  "I know, but _he's_ got a plan.  If we just wing it, we won't have a chance!"  By the end of this sentence, Yugi was shouting and nearly hysterical.  The pharaoh buried his hands in his multicolored hair and battled to maintain his self-possession.  Suddenly, inspiration struck.  "Here's what we're going to do." he said, grimly.  

Tea's first thought as Bakura's lips grazed hers was not, to her surprise, to shove him away.  The second and third thoughts backed this sentiment up, and after that Tea was no longer capable of thinking about anything more than the feel of his caresses.  


	19. Chapter the Nineteenth

Authoress' Note: This week's computer problems were merely deranged instead of completely insane.

Bakura kissed Tea with more intensity, moving his tongue impatiently against hers.  She began to respond, pulling him closer against her.  The spirit of the Millennium Ring drew back a little and rested his forehead against Tea's.  Her glorious eyes were closed to him now, but she still did not pull back.  Bakura realized that his breathing had become ragged; he was starting to find it tiresome to resist his teenage host body's hormones.  He smirked.  Why should he?  Bakura was unable to resist the temptation to vaunt his prowess, so he decided to drop in on Ryou.  

As soon as he entered the Ring, Bakura could tell that something was off, but to his considerable aggravation he was unable to identify what it was.  Then he understood; the palpable stench of fear that normally hung in the air when Ryou was caged had dissipated.  It was replaced with an unambiguous aura of lust.  The spirit looked around, half bemused, half intrigued, before spotting his light propped up against the wall.  His eyes were half closed and his chest rose and fell rapidly.  Bakura had to clap a hand over his mouth in order to stifle the laugh that threatened to surface.  He moved along beside the boy and nudged him lightly in the ribs with his foot.  Ryou languidly turned his head to unabashedly return the spirit's questioning gaze.  It was Bakura who broke first and he said, "You're enjoying this."  It was a statement, not a question, but the currently not-so-innocent one nodded anyway.  This time Bakura did not hesitate to snicker.  He had, of course, known of Ryou's furtive desire for his blue-eyed friend due to the innumerable nights of erotic dreams he had been privy to.  But never had Bakura thought that he would be able to exploit the feelings in his plan; Ryou seemed far too naive.  Now the spirit savored the possibilities the divulgence imparted.  "We're going to have some fun."  he said as he faded.  

Tea screamed at herself to slap Bakura, claw his eyes out, break his wrist, _anything _to get out of the embrace that she sank into with such disturbing ease.  She flitted back and forth between loving Bakura's touch and hating herself for loving Bakura's touch.  She opened her eyes to find her seducer staring back at her with a shadow of a smile haunting his lips.  He lowered his mouth to hers once more, then stood and held out his hand.  Tea took it, any thought of resisting him promptly deserting her.  Bakura lifted her effortlessly into his arms and carried her upstairs to the bedroom she had vacated only a few hours earlier.  He gave the hole in the wall an affectionate glance as he passed, but his goal was clearly the bed.  As before, Bakura gently placed Tea on top of the blue and gold bedspread, but this time he settled himself on top of her instead of leaving.  He had just begun his assault on the pale skin of Tea's neck when a disruption manifested itself in a most mundane way.  

It had been a simple matter to track the thief to this decrepit part of the city.  What would not be so easy was the next part of the strategy.  Yami and Yugi had concluded that the more complicated the plan, the greater the chance of failure.  So the pharaoh did not parachute in from seven thousand feet, nor did he drive a tank onto Bakura's lawn and demand Tea back.  He rang the doorbell.  Every muscle in Yami's body was tensed, but he remained outwardly phlegmatic.  It took longer than he would have liked for a rather ruffled and irritated Bakura to open the door.  It was all he could do not to wrap his hands around the tomb robber's throat and shake until he was dead, but he restrained himself and merely glowered at Bakura as he pushed his way inside.  

Bakura had expected the Yami to react swiftly to his provocation, but he was unprepared and incensed when he showed up when everything was finally coming to fruition.   "Do you mind, pharaoh, we were in the middle of something important."  he sighed.  Yami's fist connected with Bakura's face before he realized it was coming.  The spirit of the Ring slammed back against the wall, his split lip pouring crimson blood into his white hair.  The spirit of the Puzzle absently cradled his bleeding knuckles; he hardly felt the twinge.  He loomed over Bakura, glaring maliciously.  "You're perfectly welcome to chop me into tiny pieces, but then what would poor Ryou do?"  Much as he Yami hated to admit it, he had a point.  He forced himself to back away and allow Bakura to climb to his feet.  "You know why I'm here,"  Bakura shook his head.  "Could you _be_ anymore cliché?"  The rage threatened to overtake Yami yet again, but he continued.  "and I know why you want Tea.  Wouldn't it be that much more gratifying for you and humiliating for me if we let her decide?"  Bakura was not one to reject a scheme with merit casually, even if it was the brainchild of his nemesis.  The idea seemed sound, but the spirit of the Ring still had his doubts.  "You seem terribly confident that she's going to pick you."  Yami just shrugged.  Bakura fingered his wounded lip.  At length he said, "All right.  I agree."  

The pharaoh was ill equipped to deal with the wave of emotions that overtook him as Tea descended the stairs.  He had to turn his head away and close his eyes to keep the tears from spilling over.  The woman who had once been his queen looked nervously from him to Bakura, uncertainty masking her features.  In spite of the blood spattered across his face and clothing, Bakura was the only composed one in the room.  He quickly explained the situation to Tea.  

"So, my dear, which one of us will it be?"


	20. Chapter the Twentieth

            Tea could feel the dread rising within her as she looked from one man to the other.  She was still disoriented from Bakura's fiery touch and was having trouble remembering why exactly she was being asked to choose.  It was like deciding between the aurora and the penumbra.  Bakura had been her entire existence for nearly twenty-four hours, and his intoxicating presence was hard to discount.  But Tea still felt an incredible pull towards the pharaoh.  Currently, he was staring down at the floor, seemingly overwhelmed by her presence.  She felt her throat tighten as longing welled within her, but Bakura slithered over and slipped an arm around her waist before she could form the words she so desperately wanted to cry out.  

"What's wrong, sweetheart?  Can't make up your mind?"

His breath swept across Tea's ear as he spoke, and his grip tightened noticeably.  Her vision became unfocused and she felt as though her legs were going to give out from beneath her.  Yami looked up from his pitiful scrutiny of the floorboards, hoping that eye contact with the woman who had once been his queen could somehow express the love he couldn't articulate.  But her eyes were glazed over, and the one who held her was no longer Bakura.  

"Ryou!  Praise Ra!  Are you all right?"

But Yami's exuberant grin faded as he realized that Ryou was not smiling back, nor was he releasing Tea.  The pharaoh took a step forward, his face lined with worry.  

"Ryou?"  he said cautiously

This time the light did smile, but it was a cold, unsettling leer.   He simply trailed his lips up Tea's neck in lieu of an answer.  In a heartbeat, Bakura had returned to deliver the final blow to the horrified Yami.  He kissed Tea with an animal lust that rendered her unable to do anything but kiss him back.  Bakura gave Tea one last peck and raised an eyebrow at Yami.  

"I believe you have your answer."  he said lightly.

The pharaoh could only stare with a morbid fascination, his fingers clutching the Puzzle so tightly that the sharp sides cut into his fingers.  His mouth was pressed into a thin line and still he did not move.

Bakura was beginning to lose patience.  "Well… Get out!"

Yami walked out of the room, looking back once to turn his ruby gaze on Tea.  After the door shut, Bakura tried to fully devote his attention to his newly acquired toy.   But he couldn't shake the nagging sense that his victory had been hollow.  The cuckolded pharaoh's stance as he departed had been anything but defeated.  Still, the fact remained that it was Bakura, not Yami, who now held Tea in his arms.  Shrugging off the annoying thoughts, the spirit of the Ring gently lowered himself and Tea to the floor.  

"Since you're so much more hospitable now, my dear, shall try this again?"  he quipped as he propped himself up on an elbow beside her.  

Authoress' Note: I apologize for the brevity of this chapter, but I've been buried in homework.  I'm experimenting with the way I lay out the chapters.  Please tell me if this one is easier to read.  Thanks as always for the reviews; they really help!  


	21. Chapter the TwentyFirst

Authoress' Note: Just reposting until I put up the new chapter.

Yugi's violent objections echoed through the spirit's mind as he strode purposefully away from the house.   

"YAMI!  What the _hell_ do you think you're doing?"  

"This."  said the dark one as he doubled back.

"What the _hell_ do you think you're doing?"  Bakura's voice was low and dangerous, but Ryou was unimpressed.  

"I was doing what you were too stubborn to do, idiot.  Your stupid little "crushing the pharaoh purely with your inflated ego" fantasies almost cost us Tea.  And I for one want to get some ass."  

Bakura chose to ignore his light's indelicacy for the moment and rubbed the bridge of his nose with a theatrical sigh.

"What have I done to deserve being saddled with a host who is incapable of understanding the patently obvious?  Once Yami realizes that you were "persuading" his darling wife with our Ring, which he undoubtedly will, he'll come trotting back here to kill us."    

Ryou smirked.  "Perhaps, my dear Bakura, it was the raping and pillaging.  And why should he have noticed when _you_ almost didn't? Did you really think you're _that_ charming?"  

The spirit of the Ring longed to throttle Ryou, but he was right.  He had been so caught up in his desire for Tea that Ryou's none too subtle coaxing hadn't registered with him until several minutes after the fact.  As soon as he grasped what he had done, he burst in on Ryou, seething.  Bakura couldn't summon a retort, so he remained silent and glared at his counterpart.   

Ryou countered with an artificially bright smile.  "What have you been doing with her during our lovely conversation?"  

"Just petting.  I needed my brain to concentrate on yelling at _you_."

"Oh, but that shouldn't matter.  You've been thinking with your dick for weeks."  

"But why did you leave?  Who knows what he could have done to Tea while we were gone."  Yugi's voice was tight with tension.  

"We have to let him get comfortable, let him think he's won.  He almost did…" Yami shuddered.  "If you hadn't noticed what Ryou was doing…"  

Yugi had been especially attuned to the nuances of the Millennium Items, and it was he, not the spirit who dwelled within the Puzzle, who had detected the strong compulsions emanating from the Ring.  He shook his head slightly as he said, "I can't believe that Ryou would do something like this."

Yami leapt over an overturned trash can before replying, "I wouldn't have thought so either, but it was definitely him."  

He drew up suddenly and informed Yugi that they had reached the edge of Bakura's property.  Yami skirted around the side of the house and peered into a large picture window.  It turned out to be the living room window and his stomach contracted as he got a clear view of Bakura fondling Tea in the middle of the floor.   He tore his eyes away and quickly stripped off his shirt, wrapping it around his hand and forearm.  Yami turned his head to the side, shielding it with his other arm, and plunged his fist through the glass.  

Bakura jerked his head around at the sound of shattering glass and extended the motion into a smooth roll that brought him to his feet.  His mouth pulled back into a grimace as Yami vaulted through the empty frame and stood before him.  The pharaoh went immediately to Tea, shooting a glance at Bakura that said, "If you try to stop me, I'll break every joint in your body."  She was just beginning to pick herself up off of the floor, still looking faintly confused.  Yami carefully wrapped an arm around her waist and helped her up.  Their gazes met only briefly, but that was all that was needed.  Then Yami turned to Bakura and the unspoken challenge hung in the air.  

Authoress' Note: Mmmm, shirtless Yami…


	22. Chapter the TwentySecond

Ice had always fascinated him. He had only been exposed to it once as a child, during that all too brief escape from the dank hole he had called home. But now he swirled his long fingers through a glass of gelid cubes and smiled. The happy mood quickly deteriorated, however, and he made a small sound of annoyance. His yacht was off course by several degrees.

"You told me you knew where to go."

"I-I do Master!"

"Why do you bother to lie? You've failed me, and now I'll have to do it myself."

The pilot fell, sprawled over the steering wheel, then straightened with jerky, corpse-like motions. His eerily vacant eyes stared into the middle distance as his hands made the course correction. The task complete, the man abruptly crashed onto the deck, dead, like a puppet with its strings cut. Another crewman stepped over the body and nervously took his place, fervently hoping not to meet the same end as his predecessor.

His violet eyes blinked and the cabin slowly came into focus again. His hand was still in the glass, now covered with water. He had killed a man without moving an inch.

The standoff stretched into eternity, and Tea recalled every aspect of her abduction in excruciating detail. Her mortification quickly changed into burning anger, however, which she saw mirrored on Yami's face. So great was his rage that a third, glowing eye had appeared in the center of his forehead. Tea had seen this only rarely, and she was extremely glad that it was not she who was seared by the trinocular glare. Bakura was also looking dangerously irate. Gone was the languid, coolly calculating spirit that had devised and executed his plan with detached precision. In his stead stood a vessel overflowing with hatred. Finally, Yami felt something within him wrench loose and he was hurled into oblivion.

This battle was like no other that Yami had ever faced. Previously he had fought with cards and competence, but now his and Bakura's Millennium Items struggled on a plane that completely transcended their owners' mundane echelon. This was more than a struggle of wills; it pitted the combatants' entire beings against one another. Yami could feel Tea pouring the entirety of her strength into him, but it was becoming steadily more difficult to hold off Bakura.

Madness had given the spirit of the Ring a power that only those who have utterly forsaken sanity can comprehend. A mind restricted to rational thought is limited by the rational laws of the universe. These precepts simply did not occur to Bakura's deranged mind, therefore he was able to fully tap into his rage and do things that would be otherwise impossible.

Yami could feel himself losing metaphorical ground, and Tea's support was now laced with anxiety. Just as darkness was closing in around the edges of his vision, his adversary's strength suddenly faltered and Bakura was yanked harshly out of the quasi universe he had created. Yami was left alone and confused for a moment before he too returned to his normal state.

Something was hideously wrong. He had been hammering the pharaoh with blow after blow when Bakura suddenly felt himself weakening. It was as though all the combined might of him and his hikari was being siphoned off by some unknown power. Even his righteous anger at being undermined in this manner was drawn away, leaving him completely without emotion for the last few seconds before he buckled.

The dingy, peeling wallpaper of Bakura's lair greeted the pharaoh once again. The thief was lying on the floor, a large gash he had sustained in the fall marking his head. Yami could not bring himself to feel any pity whatsoever. He abruptly became aware of Tea beside him, shaking slightly. This reminded him of his own acute exhaustion, and they both sank to the floor and slept like the dead.

He reflected upon the day's work. It had been pleasurable--but not wholly satisfying-- to thwart the tomb robber's puerile attempt at a coup. He caressed the Millennium Rod absently. But soon he would face a worthwhile opponent and claim the throne that should have been his. Now Bakura was desperate--a feeling that could be easily exploited. He would grasp at any chance for revenge that was offered. It would be a simple matter to use him against the pharaoh and then dispose of him.

Yami felt a heavy weight on top of him and his pulse quickened fleetingly with alarm. But just as quickly he realized that Tea had curled up on his chest. He hated to disturb her, but he was beginning to piece together what had happened and wanted to know precisely what had happened to Bakura. She made a faint noise of protest and flung an arm into Yami's shoulder as he rose, then woke and stood with him. The body lay before them, though whether Ryou or Bakura inhabited it they could not tell. Tea and Yami exchanged a worried glace before he finally walked slowly over and nudged it. Two large, brown, mournful eyes opened briefly, then closed tightly against the shame.

"He's gone," said Ryou.

Bakura had surrendered, but he was not defeated. He had bitterly retreated to the deepest depths of the Millennium Ring, safe from detection even by Ryou. He would bide his time until the next opportunity presented itself. He was _very_ good at waiting.

Tea dashed down the stairs, bashing her elbow on the banister as she did so, and ripped open the door. She ushered Yami inside as she hopped up and down, cradling her arm. He smiled half worriedly, half affectionately before dropping a light kiss on her lips. She grinned back, and then bounced happily into the kitchen.

"How's Ryou doing?" she asked, digging around in the refrigerator.

"As well as can be expected. He feels unbelievably guilty. He has practically gone into hiding," he replied.

Two days had passed since the showdown, and Ryou had refused to leave his bedroom in the interim. Yami and Tea had decided to meet for brunch after sleeping for nearly the entire period.

Tea nodded solemnly. "I think he'll be okay." Then, brightening, she said, "Do you want sausage or bacon?"

His arms slid around her from behind as he said, "Whatever you want, love."

Yami gently nuzzled the nape of her neck.

Tea's fingers tightened on the refrigerator door, and she said, "Bed. Now."

Yami eagerly complied, and Tea found herself on her back amongst the cool cotton sheets of her bed. He was raining kisses down on her throat and shoulders, and various articles of clothing were sailing across the room. The pharaoh paused and looked worried.

"Are you all right to do this?"

Smiling mischievously, Tea suddenly flipped Yami onto his back and ground roughly into his hips. She laughed as he clapped a hand over his mouth to stifle the resulting groan.

"What do you think?"

Slowly throughout the day, the couple blissfully rediscovered each other after five thousand years.

Their lovemaking completed, Yami and Tea lay contentedly together. The cries of passion had faded, and now was a time for quiet satisfaction. But the telephone--that loathed device--interrupted the lull. Yami answered begrudgingly, listened, and then became visibly animated. He spoke a brief farewell and hung up.

"That was Joey. Kaiba is hosting a tournament! They issue you some sort of new dueling technology when you register!"

He begged with his eyes. Tea smiled indulgently.

"All right. I'll go with you."

They climbed out of bed and gathered the scattered clothing.

Tea lay back in the grass, and closed her eyes. She could hear Yugi and Joey's expressions of delight each time they deployed their duel discs. Even after an hour of doing this, they had not tired of watching the bat-like holographic projectors shoot out of the contraption and render images of duel monsters on the front lawn. All was well in her world; she had the man she loved, a wonderful best friend, and a disturbing event behind her. "_My life is perfect_." she thought, and perhaps in that moment she was right.

He smiled as the yacht bumped softly against the dock. It had cost him two more navigators to get here, but he would sacrifice as many as was necessary to achieve his goal. The world would quake before Malik.

The End

I'd love to hear your thoughts on my story! I'm trying very hard to get the second chapter of the sequel up!


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